The Path of Friendship
by Littlesister28516
Summary: Ash's Pikachu and Charmander have always been the best of friends. But when an unfortunate occurance forces Ash to release all his Pokemon, they're separated, and in their journey to find each other once again, they unveil an evil plot that has set the Legendary Pokemon against each other. Will they be able to triumph over this new foe? Only time will tell.
1. The Great Separation

Part 1 - Reunion

**A/U: Hello everyone! This is a new story I just started working on with my friend lumpy milkshake, and it's her first story on the site! As you can see, it will be posted and updated on my account, but please do give much of the credit to her as well!**

**Oh, and Ash is going to only appear in the first two chapters. This story is about his Pikachu and Charmander on this big adventure that only includes Pokémon, with no humans. They're only here to tell you what's happening a little bit, and why they won't be with Ash. Also, the beginning takes place in the Johto region, but we're pretending that Charmander never evolved. Most of the story will take place in continents that, to my knowledge, don't exist in the actual Pokémon world, and they're only inhabited by Pokémon. Oh, and as of yet we don't plan on any romance in this story. If we add any, we'll be sure to tell you, but until then, this'll just be friendship. Pikachu and Charmander are both guy's in this fic, and neither of us would particularly enjoy reading yaoi, let alone writing it. It's not that we have anything against homosexuality, we just don't like reading/writing about it.**

**Now, some of you might have read my story Chosen of the Phoenix and are eagerly waiting for the long-awaited update, but the truth is, I'm running low on inspiration for that right now. I started it with very little planning or knowledge of where it's going to go, and I currently have no inspiration to continue writing it. However, I'm not abandoning it, because it always makes me sad whenever I'm reading a perfectly good story, and suddenly I come across an author's note chapter that says they're abandoning the story completely. Thus, Chosen of the Phoenix is now on hiatus for an indefinite amount of time. But I'll try to regain some kind of inspiration for it as soon as I possibly can, but that might not be for a while with this new, much more planned-out story that I'm excited about.**

**Oh, but don't expect regular updates. Lumpy Milkshake and I will do our best to get them out frequently, which will be easier with summer vacation just around the corner, but we might not always be able to.**

**Whew, that was a long author's note for me. All that aside, I hope you enjoy the story, and please review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own, nor will I ever own, the rights to Pokémon.**

-x*x-

Light streamed through the murky window, illuminating a large lump of blankets snoozing quietly on the bed. The bright rays of sunshine seeped through a gap in the covers, shining into the eyes of the inhabitants of the blanket.

Stirring in irritation, the lump rose, giving way to the figure of a person, and disturbing the sleeping yellow mouse resting on top of the blankets.

The figure scratched its tousled black hair with one hand, using the other hand to rub at one of its droopy onyx eyes as it examined its surroundings.

Yawning, the figure turned towards the small yellow mouse in tired excitement. "Hey Pikachu, are you ready for our gym battle today?" Ash Ketchum questioned the Pokémon hyperly.

The electric rodent responded with a similarly excited, "Pika!"

As he waited for his owner to prepare for the important day ahead of them, Pikachu contemplated the uneasy feeling he had about the day. He's certainly no Absol, but even normal Pokémon can tell when a bad day awaits them. He only hoped this ominous feeling wouldn't end up being fulfilled in the way of a losing gym battle. The little yellow mouse was quite loyal to his owner, and didn't enjoy seeing the disappointment etched onto Ash's face whenever he lost a battle.

Of course, being beat-up by another Pokémon wasn't a particularly pleasant experience either.

However, Pikachu was broken from his contemplation when his owner called out to him. "Come on, Pikachu, let's go get some breakfast!"

Ash took the steps two at a time in his rush towards the awaiting meal in the Pokémon Center's buffet. Upon entering, he hardly took notice of the many people crowding the cafeteria and instead focused intently on grabbing his food. As he was piling his plate with large amounts of bacon, eggs, toast and other such breakfast-time foods, he failed to notice the pitying looks pointed in his direction.

It was difficult to find a seat in the crowded cafeteria, but eventually the onyx-eyed boy found a seat and began to ravenously devour the contents of his plate like a wild Mightyena would a freshly-caught meal.

After finishing, Ash headed quickly towards the gym with a spring in his step, ready to add to his collection of badges won from gym leaders.

Upon arrival however, his expression morphed into one of disappointment and confusion when he found the gym doors locked. Noticing a sign on the door that he had ignored in his excitement, the aspiring Pokémon Master read the note.

_All gyms permanently closed from this day forward. We apologize for the inconvenience._

_Sincerely,_

_The Pokémon League_

His face now held nothing but shock. The only coherent thought running through his head was, _"Why would they suddenly close the gyms?"_

In his attempt to find an answer to this question, Ash began sprinting down the empty street franticly, with Pikachu trailing behind him.

He kept running until he was panting exhaustedly wondering where everyone went. As he bent down to catch his breath, the tired teen spotted a lone newspaper fluttering on the street. Glancing down at it, he read the article title _The Rise of Team Plasma_.

Picking it up in curiosity Ash read the article, wondering who this "Team Plasma" was and why he had yet to hear about them.

_The Rise of Team Plasma_

_Team Plasma, a group formed in the Unova region with the intention of separating people and Pokémon claiming they need to be liberated, has just invaded the Pokémon League. Their leader, Natural Harmonia Gropius, known by his followers as King N, has just defeated the Elite Four and Champion Lance with the assistance of the legendary Pokémon, Reshiram. Using his newly-acquired position as Champion, N has issued a command to all trainers to release their Pokémon. His order also commands that all Pokémon related facilities, organizations and foundations by shut down. He has already claimed the Champion position in every other region, and the same order has been proclaimed in every region. With the legendary Reshiram, one of the founders of the Unova region, at his side, there is little anyone can do to resist his order. Anyone found owning a Pokémon after midnight tonight is to be arrested and their Pokémon released._

Astonished, Ash dropped the newspaper and it fluttered innocently away in the wind.

Glancing at his paralyzed trainer with a worried expression, Pikachu knew something was terribly wrong.

Only furthering his assessment of his trainer's reaction, Ash sprinted off in the direction of the Pokémon Center.

Quickly following behind his now-hysterical master, they continued to sprint until they arrived back at the Pokémon Center.

It wasn't what either of them expected to see.

People with strange knight-like medieval outfits were harassing the many trainers in the Pokémon Center, demanding they all release their Pokémon immediately. Each one bore an emblem depicting the image of a lightning bolt-like P in the middle of what appeared to be a knight's shield.

Hearing footsteps, the knights turned towards Ash. "Hey, you too buddy! Release your Pokémon this instant!"

Looking at them in indignation, Ash questioned, "Hey, who do you think you are, demanding that I release my Pokémon like that? I didn't do anything wrong!"

With a smug look, one of the hefty men in the group replied, "We're Team Plasma! And our King N has now declared it illegal to own or use Pokémon in any way. Just having one with you is considered a crime if you fail to release it upon notification."

In anger, he protested with, "What? That's not fair! I'm not one of the trainers that treat their Pokémon badly, why should I have to release them?"

"That's our Lord's demand, and as the Champion, he has jurisdiction over all trainers now, and this is what he decided to do with that power. The only reason Milord is allowing us to own Pokémon is so that we may enforce his commands. If you fail to comply with our King's orders, then we will use force, and you will be arrested and marked as a criminal. It is within your best interest that you release all your Pokémon this instant," responded the same Plasma Knight.

"Bu-but, they're my friends! I can't just release them, that isn't right! You don't just abandon you're friends!" the boy franticly shouted.

"I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is. You're only harming your so-called 'friends' by making them fight against their will, and taking them away from their natural environment. They'll be better off if you just release them."

Ash gave Pikachu a heartbroken look. Giving him a solemn nod in response to the unspoken question, Pikachu thought, _"Go ahead Ash. You can release me. I don't want you to get arrested, especially because of me."_

Feeling his eyes water lightly, the saddened ex-trainer got out all of his pokéballs and began releasing the Pokémon in them one-by-one. As each one came out, they began to look more and more confused and slightly hurt at their master's actions.

Upon getting to the final pokéball, he gave it and the lightning bolt sticker on it a final look.

"I guess this is our final goodbye, isn't that right, Pikachu?" he stated softly, with his hair shadowing his eyes.

"Pika…" was the little electric mouse's saddened response.

Finally, Ash released Pikachu from his pokéball, and the small Pokémon immediately felt the break in the bond.

"Goodbye, Pikachu," the young boy said, looking more vulnerable than any of his Pokémon had ever seen him, "I'll miss you, buddy. Go ahead and live a good life with all your friends now."

As he spoke, he began shaking. "And just remember, that I'll never forget you as long as you never forget me!" With this final statement, a single sparkle could be seen dropping from one of his now-visible eyes onto Pikachu's old pokéball, leaving a drop of moisture on it.

"Have fun now, Pikachu!" he yelled, running into the Pokémon Center, trying to hide the rest of his oncoming tears.

Reaching towards him, but stopping short, Pikachu called out to him with his own final farewell instead. "Pika Pi! Pika, chu! _Goodbye Ash, I'll miss you too!"_

Watching his ex-trainer until he disappeared completely into the Pokémon Center, Pikachu looked towards the now-setting sun, wondering what to do next.

"_I'll miss you too…"_


	2. Family Reunions

Chapter 2 – Family Reunions

**A/N: Thank you for all the views everyone! This story might not be as popular as my other story, Chosen of the Phoenix, but that's understandable, due to the difference in the popularity of fandoms. I'd like to give a special thanks to PuppyProngs for favoriting this story (as you're the only one that did so) and I hope we get more favorites, alerts, and reviews in the future! Well, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: We do not own Pokémon, nor will we ever own it.**

/*\\\

_**Recap:**_

_"Goodbye, Pikachu," the young boy said, looking more vulnerable than any of his Pokémon had ever seen him, "I'll miss you, buddy. Go ahead and live a good life with all your friends now."_

_As he spoke, he began shaking. "And just remember, that I'll never forget you as long as you never forget me!" With this final statement, a single sparkle could be seen dropping from one of his now-visible eyes onto Pikachu's old pokéball, leaving a drop of moisture on it._

_"Have fun now, Pikachu!" he yelled, running into the Pokémon Center, trying to hide the rest of his oncoming tears._

_Reaching towards him, but stopping short, Pikachu called out to him with his own final farewell instead. "Pika Pi! Pika, chu! _Goodbye Ash, I'll miss you too!"

_Watching his ex-trainer until he disappeared completely into the Pokémon Center, Pikachu looked towards the now-setting sun, wondering what to do next._

"I'll miss you too…"

/*\\\

After staring dejectedly at the Pokémon Center doors for a few moments, Pikachu sighed and glanced around. Noticing the absence of his closest friend on the team, Charmander, he turned to Squirtle and asked, "Hey Squirtle, do you know where Charmander is? Did he already run off?" Pikachu already knew the answers to the questions he was asking, but he still held onto the small glimmer of hope that it would be easy to find his friend. However, he already knew that his friend would never abandon them in such a way, and that the unfavorable alternative must be true.

"No, I think he's with Professor Oak back with all the other Pokémon. He'll probably get released from there," Squirtle told Pikachu, unhappy with having to crush his friend's hopes.

Not knowing the way to Professor Oak's Laboratory, Pikachu instead chose to find his family, instead. "Oh, okay. Well, I guess this is goodbye Squirtle. Maybe we'll see each other again someday."

Following that short farewell, he ran off into the woods, not waiting for a response from the blue turtle.

"Yeah, bye…" the Tiny Turtle Pokémon said, a little too late.

/*\\\

Meanwhile in the Pokémon Center, Ash was having a solemn conversation with Professor Oak over the video phone.

"Hey, Professor, could you release all of my Pokémon for me? Apparently it's against the law to be a trainer now," Ash said, all traces of his once happy-go-lucky nature erased from his face.

With a sad smile, the Professor responded, "Sure Ash, I'll do that for you. Consider it done."

"Thanks. I think I'll start heading home tomorrow, too. Since the whole trainer thing didn't work and all."

"That's a good idea Ash. Well, I guess I'll see you soon then. Have a safe trip," were the old man's last words before he hung up on the video phone. Sighing, the teenager wondered what he would do now that he no longer had a dream to follow.

From then on, there would be no such thing as a Pokémon Master.

/*\\\

Looking at the many Pokémon before him, the ex-Pokémon Professor sighed. It was such a terrible thing for Ash to have to go through, especially at such a young age. He was so attached to all his Pokémon, and he went through life with the full intention of becoming a Pokémon Master, and that would be his life. Without that dream, the young boy would be lost and disheartened, perhaps even fall into a depression. However, the most he could hope for is that Ash would find a new dream and follow it with the same amount of determination as he did with this one.

Giving the Pokémon one final glance, he finally began to go through the release process with each and every one of them. As they were released, each one went in a seemingly random direction, but by the confidence in their step, it was apparent that they knew exactly where they were going.

Finally, the aged man got to Charmander. It was a rather uneventful release, and before either of them knew it, the small fire lizard was now considered a wild Pokémon.

"Well, I suppose you should head off to your family now. I'm sure it will be a happy and long-awaited reunion," was the professor's feeble goodbye.

Nodding, Charmander left towards the beach south of Palette Town, intending to ask a water-type Pokémon for a ride.

When he got there, he was slightly surprised when a Lapras just popped out from under the surface of the water. "Hello," the large Pokémon greeted kindly, "I'm part of something called the Pokémon Ferry Service, of PFS for short. Because of all the Pokémon that are being released from their masters due to that new rule, everyone is returning home, to the Legendary Continents."

"The Legendary Continents?"

"Yes, the Legendary Continents. They are various lands split up into separate kingdoms or domains, whichever you may call them. Each domain is ruled by a separate Legendary Pokémon, however some of the stronger ones rule over several domains because of their superiority over the Legendaries that rule the separate parts. The population in them has begun to dwindle, however, as more and more Pokémon desire the companionship of humans, and thus travel to the human regions for that very reason. Your parents must have taken you here when you were very young for you to not remember that," the Lapras explained patiently.

"Yeah, all I remember is what home looks like and my parents telling me what the place is called. It was called Mt. Firecrest. Do you know where that is?" came Charmander's hopeful inquiry.

The Lapras indignantly replied, "Hmf. Who do you take me for? Of course I know where Mt. Firecrest is! It lies in the center Wildfire Plains, commanded by a Lord of Fire, Entei. Wildfire Plains is one of three domains within the Continent of the Phoenix. I can take you to the shores of Wildfire Plains in no time at all, but you'll have to travel to Mt. Firecrest on your own once I drop you off."

"Really? That would be great! I can get home easily from there!" Charmander yelled excitedly.

Suddenly changing to a worried tone, the ferrying Pokémon said, "Yes, but do be careful. I heard there's a war brewing between two of the domains in the Continent of the Phoenix, but I don't know who it's between. You should be fine travelling through Wildfire Plains, though, since you're a fire type, but be extra cautious when venturing to other lands."

"Okay!" the fire lizard said distractedly, not actually paying any attention to Lapras's words in his glee at being able to see his family once again.

After jumping onto the PFS member's back, they headed off into the distance, without a single glance towards the fading landscape of the Kanto Region.

/*\\\

Riding along the ocean's waters on the back of another Lapras, this one female, Pikachu sat on her back, watching the easily-visible stars. It wasn't often that he got the opportunity to see them, as he was usually near or in a city at night when he was with Ash.

Ash… he missed him, a lot. And he was going to miss him even more, but he had to let go. There was no changing that new human law, and Pikachu didn't want his previous trainer to be scorned by his kin.

However, the one he was really worried about was Charmander. They were released quite a fair distance away from each other, and the likeliness wasn't high that they would both be headed towards the Continent of the Phoenix. There were plenty of other fire-type paradises for his best friend to live in, ones that were more rocky than Wildfire Plains. If he knew anything about the fire lizard evolutionary line, it was that they preferred rocky climates to the more flat ones.

Still, it was a tempting idea, but Pikachu needed to find his family first, since he hadn't seen any of them for most of his life. Maybe afterwards, he would go hunt for his long-time buddy.

Wanting to get his mind off the slightly depressing subject, red-cheeked mouse decided to chat with his only companion at the moment.

"Oh, I forgot to mention, my name's Pikachu. What's yours?"

Looking amused, the Lapras responded, "Ah, so you must be a trainer's Pokémon, which would explain why you're so far away from home. To answer your question, my name is Siali. I was born and raised in the wild, which is why I have an actual name, rather than just the title of my species."

"Oh, really? What else is there to living in the wild?" questioned Pikachu, ready to learn more about his new life.

"Well, you already know about the division of land, and how the different domains are ruled by the various Legendary Pokémon. However, most of the similarly grouped Pokémon have domains near one another. For example, the Continent of the Phoenix is ruled by Ho-oh, which is where the continent's name comes from, and the three legendary beasts, whom Ho-oh rules over, command the three domains of the continent. Entei rules over Wildfire Plains, a mostly flat landscape that is prone to many fires, with a single volcano in the center that erupts frequently. Raikou commands Thunderclap Valley, which is consistently wrought with powerful thunderstorms, some of the most electrifying there are. Then there is Suicune, who commands The Waterchill Mountains, the coldest area of the continent, and it is dotted with many freshwater lakes that lie on its mountainous terrain. Many other continents and islands exist, also ruled over by the Legendary Pokémon, but this will most likely be the only one you ever visit. Especially since most of the domains have conditions favorable to a single type, and only a few are favorable for fire-type Pokémon. I myself live on the shores of Suicune's domain," the Transport Pokémon lectured.

As Lapras continued to tell Pikachu about the various wonders of the world of wild Pokémon, they drew closer and closer to Thunderclap Valley until they finally arrived at the shores of the continent, near Pikachu's home, Thunderstorm Forest.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye," said Pikachu with a saddened tone.

"Yes, but if you need me, I'll be on the shores of Suicune's territory. But do be careful, I heard there's a bit of a conflict going on between the domains of the Continent of the Phoenix at the moment, but you should be fine inside of Lord Raikou's domain," Lapras warned.

"Okay, I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Pikachu responded while bounding away, "bye!"

"Farewell." And with that small goodbye, the two Pokémon went their separate ways. Eventually, after about a half an hour of running, the small yellow mouse arrived at his home, Thunderstorm Forest. He could tell that many Pokémon lived in here besides just Pikachu, but he'd take the time to figure out his environment later. His family comes first.

He traveled further into the forest, searching, only stopping when he hears the rustling of bushes a little ahead of him.

"Hello? Anybody there?" the frightened Pokémon questioned warily. His only response was more shaking from the bush.

"Who are you? Come on out, whoever you are!" The bush continued to shake, until the head of a small Pikachu popped out.

Tilting her head in curiosity, the baby Pikachu questioned, "Hello? Who're you? I've never seen you around before. Are you an outsider? Are you here to take our land? If you are, we're just gonna have to get rid of you then," she aggressively ended her interrogation.

Panicking at her accusations, Pikachu franticly explained, "Oh no! None of that, I don't want to take your land away. You see, I was actually just released by my trainer because of a new human law that forbids having Pokémon with you. But I remembered my parents telling me when I was really young, before I was captured, that I was from a clan in a place called Thunderstorm Forest. So I thought I'd just return home since I have nowhere else to go now."

"Really? Well, I'll let everyone else tell if you're bad or not. But you seem nice enough to me!" the baby yelled in a happy-go-lucky manner. "Follow me!" The mini electric mouse ran off at his command, prompting Pikachu to follow her through the thick foliage of the forest.

Eventually, they arrived in a clearing filled with dozens of Pikachu, all seeming to be friendly. Upon the crowd noticing their arrival, however, everything grew silent. The entire clan of Pikachu starred at the new arrivals accusingly, though for different reasons.

Finally, what appeared to be the leader of the clan walked up toward Pikachu, and offered his tail without a single word spoken.

In response to this gesture, the foreign arrival starred at the other Pikachu dumbly for a second, wondering what he was doing. Eventually, it dawned on him that this was their version of a hand shake, something he had forgotten in all his time away from his kin.

Turning around as well, Pikachu interlocked his tail with the other Pikachu's, creating a static charge. Upon doing this, the rest of the clan bounded up toward him in glee, and began greeting the long-lost family member excitedly.

"_It's good to be home," _Pikachu thought happily.

/*\\\

"Oh my goodness," Charmander whispered, starring at the gruesome scene before him. "What could have possibly happened here?"

Dead bodies littered the scorched soil, staining it crimson with the blood of his family. There were no survivors, easily visible by the lack of tail flame on each of their corpses.

Charmander was absolutely devastated. It wasn't just that they were all dead and their remains were scattered all over the paradise his parents had spoken to him about, although that was a big reason, but there was more to it. He no longer had anyone left in the world, Ash had to release him, and all the Pokémon went their separate ways, including Pikachu, his best friend…

Wait! He could always search for Pikachu! The small fire lizard had nothing to lose, after all, and there was even a famous Pikachu hot spot in the Continent of the Phoenix! And even if Pikachu wasn't there, he would continue searching for his long-time friend, because he has no one else left in the world but him.

And with that, Charmander found his resolve to search for Pikachu, even if it takes the rest of his life.

/*\\\

**A/N: Well, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please review!**


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